11/11/12 11/11/12

Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with childhood antibiotic exposure

Inflammatory bowel disease includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease where the immune system attacks the large intestine and small intestine respectively. Considering the emerging science on the profound importance of the human micro biome for immune system maturation, regulation and tolerance, a study just published in the journal Pediatrics offering evidence that antibiotic exposure in childhood is associated with inflammatory bowel disease comes as no surprise.

11/9/12 11/9/12

Gout can be associated with blood levels of lead previously thought acceptable

11/7/12 11/7/12

Low-dose aspirin prevents cognitive decline in women with high cardiovascular risk

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is controversial (meaning there is conflicting evidence for its use by patients who have not previously suffered a heart attack or stroke). But the authors of a study just published in BMJ Open (British Medical Journal) show that low-dose aspirin prevented cognitive decline in women with high cardiovascular risk.

11/4/12 11/4/12

Lyme disease, neuropsychiatric symptoms and autoimmunity

As with other chronic infections, the most devastating effects of Lyme disease can occur from the immune system losing tolerance for normal tissue as it cross-reacts while attacking the pathogen. A paper just published in The Open Neurology Journal reviews the body of knowledge on the neuropsychiatric symptoms of Lyme disease and other infections as an immune mediated neurodegenerative disorder, enlarged by a wealth of citations.

11/3/12 11/3/12

Breast cancer inhibited by pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice inhibits the growth and migration of breast cancer cells as well as preventing prostate cancer metastasis.

11/1/12 11/1/12

Colorectal tumor risk is reduced by magnesium

A study just published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition offers evidence that higher intakes of magnesium reduce colorectal tumor risk.

10/29/12 10/29/12

Lymphoma and autoimmunity

Lymphoma and other hematologic malignancies ('blood cancers') have been shown be previous investigators to be linked to autoimmunity. The authors of a paper just published in the Journal of Autoimmunity illustrate how epigenetic mechanisms can imbalance immune function in a way that contributes to both autoimmunity and hematologic malignancies such has lymphoma, leukemia, etc.

10/27/12 10/27/12

High blood pressure: when is medication needed for hypertension?

High blood pressure: when is medication needed for hypertension? The authors of an intervention review published recently in the highly respected Cochrane Library examine all the relevant randomized controls trials and come to the conclusion that medicating mild hypertension (systolic blood pressure (BP) 140-159 mmHg and/or diastolic BP 90-99 mmHg) confers no benefit.

10/6/12 10/6/12

Acute gastrointestinal infection can turn on autoimmune disorders

Autoimmune disorders can be promoted by a variety of factors that must be considered in case management.Acute gastrointestinal infection—such as a food-borne illness or viral gastroenteritis—can cause the immune system to lose tolerance for commensal bacteria (the ones that normally live in the intestines), contributing to the development of autoimmune disorders.